The present invention relates to a novel and useful apparatus for tightening a drumhead.
Drums are tuned or tightened to adjust the pitch of the drum prior to use in an entertainment environment. Generally, the drumhead includes a skin held in contact with a circular rim. The skin bearing on the drum body is normally tightened by adjusting a multiplicity of lug bolts, which are evenly spaced around the exterior of the body. For example, a 12 inch Tom drum generally has 12 adjustment bolts, six on the top and six on the bottom. Each of these bolts must be individually adjusted to provide the proper tuning of the drum, much as one adjusts the spokes on a bicycle wheel. It may be apparent, the tightening of the drum skin produces a higher pitch than a drum which has a loosened skin, the latter producing a lower pitch when struck. Moreover, tightening of one bolt on a conventional drum makes it necessary to loosen one or more of the other bolts in order to “clear” the drumhead to properly tune the drum. Needless to say, tuning a drumhead to produce a desired pitch is time consuming and frustrating.
In the past, systems for tuning drums have been proposed. For example, United States Patents Des. 339,818 and Des. 350,362 show tensioning lug bolts formed on the exterior of a drum which must be individually tightened to adjust the tension of the skin head of the drum.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,051,671 and 2,115,741 show tensioning mechanisms for a drum which employ a ratchet mechanism to tighten the skin of the drum and is actuated by an adjusting screw projecting from the drum body.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,218,952 and 5,739,448 show drum tensioning devices that employ gears which tighten a counter hoop which tightens the skin of the drum as the gears are rotated.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,586,665 teaches a drum membrane which is adjustable to different tensions which utilizes a tensioning ring that works in conjunction with a bolt or fastener. A follower linked to the adjusting bolt forces a pair of blocks toward and away from one another in order to adjust the tension of the skin head held by the ring.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,541,913 describes a drumhead holding mechanism in which a collar has an adapt flange with a lip that exerts thrust pressure on a hold down ring of the skin that is operated by pneumatic means.
An apparatus for tightening a drumhead of a drum which is reliable and simple to use would be a notable advance in the music field.